Domestic appliance



June 12, 1956 R. RCANDOR DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Original Filed July 14, 1949 INVENTOR. Robert R. Candor BY Mi Wm 3 L H/s Af/omeys DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Robert R. Candor, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Original application July 14, 1949, Serial No. 104,654.

Divided and this application September 25, 1952, Serial No. 311,344

10 Claims. (CI. 68-21) This application is a division of S. N. 104,654, filed July 14, 1949, now patented No. 2,692,494, dated October 26, 1954.

This invention relates to domestic appliances and more particularly to washing machines.

According to this invention a bag of flexible, impervious material is supported in a manner to create a fluted or irregular tub. The tub is filled with clothes and liquid and is oscillated to wash the clothes. Thereafter, the liquid and air are removed from the bag, which is collapsed by atmospheric pressure to wring the clothes. Or the bag-like structure may be surrounded by a tub, in which the liquid and clothes are placed, and the baglike structure is outwardly expanded or collapsed preferably by atmospheric pressure.

An object of this invention is to provide a washing machine in which a bag is oscillated to produce washing action, and is collapsed by atmospheric pressure, to produce a wringing action.

Another object of this invention is to provide a flexible diaphragm or bag-like structure which may be oscillated to produce a washing action, and may be collapsed atmospherically, or by pressure, to produce a wringing action.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-section of a washing machine embodying my invention, and taken along the line 11 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal cross-section taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2.

In the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a tub St) is stationarily supported on any frame 51. It is provided with a mouth 52 having a cover 53 which has a bleed opening 54 which may be opened by a manually operable valve 55 to break a vacuum within the tub. An oscillatable, flexible diaphragm or tub-like structure may be placed in the tub. It may be supported on a framework in the form of horizontal platforms 56 and 57 which are connected by radial blades 58, this framework being supported on an oscillatable tube 59. The flexible diaphragm may be a unitary structure, or it may be made of three or more sections including horizontal pie sections 60 and 61, each joined by a vertical wall section 63, V-shape in cross-section. It is obvious that each of these sections may be joined if desired to adjacent flexible sections by extending the vertical walls 63 around the outside edges of the walls 58. If desired the walls 63 may be corrugated as indicated. The flexible diaphragm is vulcanized, cemented or otherwise secured to the platforms 56, 57 and the blades 58 at their outer edges. As shown, they are secured by rim clamps 56,

nited States Patent 'ice 57 and 58' respectively, using bolts, screws 64, or the like.

The pipe 59 may be oscillated by a crank 65, actuated by a connecting rod 66, driven by the eccentric pin 67, which is rotated by the shaft 68, connected to the motor 69 by means of an automatically controlled clutch transmission 70. The pipe 59 may be connected by any wellknown relatively movable seal 71 with a stationary pipe 72. The pipe 72 is connected to a pump 73 which discharges through the pipe 74. The pump 73 is driven from the motor 69 by any suitable transmission controlled by an automatic clutch'75.

The tub 5b is connected by a pipe 76 with the pipe 72. Also, the pipe 76 is connected with a pipe 77 through which water may be introduced. The pipe 77 may be connected to one or two solenoid valves 78 for the introduction of hot and/or cold water. Solenoid valves 79 and 80 are placed in pipes 76 and 72 respectively. An atmospheric air inlet pipe 81, with solenoid valve 81 is also connected with pipe 72. A timer 83 controls the motor, pump, transmissions, clutches and valves as indicated by dotted lines. A plurality of perforated channels 92 are formed on the inside of tub 50. These are connected to the pipe 76 by means of the perforated false bottom 93. Liquid may flow through the perforations into the channels 92 and false bottom 93 into the pipe 76.

In the operation of the washing machine, clothes and detergent are inserted in the tub 50 by lifting and replacing the cover 53. Water at the desired temperature is introduced through the pipe 77, for example by water control as disclosed in Clark Patent 2,366,236, January 2, 1945. At the time water is introduced, solenoids 79 and 81 are closed while solenoids 78 are open. After the solenoids 78 close, the diaphragm may be oscillated by rotation of the shaft 68. Simultaneously the pump 73 may be actuated, while solenoids 77, 79 and 81 are closed and solenoid 80 is open, to produce a vacuum behind the diaphragm 60, 61, 63, the pipe 59 being connected through openings 84 with the space inside the diaphragm. The oscillation of the diaphragm and its supporting framework washes the clothes. Thereafter this oscillation is stopped. The pump 73 continues to operate to produce a vacuum in pipe 76 while the solenoids 78 and 80 are closed, and the solenoids 79 and 31 are open. This produces a vacuum in the tub 50, causing air to be introduced through the open valve 81, the air inlet pipe 81, and pipe 59 into the diaphragm to cause the diaphragm to expand or collapse outwardly as indicated in the dotted line 91 in Fig. 2. This wrings the clothes against the wall of the tub 50. The liquid flows through the perforated channels 92 on the inside of the tub which are connected with the pipe 76. The liquid is discharged through the pipe 74. Thereafter one or more rinsing operations are performed, which are similar to the washing operation, with detergent omitted, after which the timer 81 stops. The vacuum, if any, in the tub 50 may then be broken by manually opening the valve 55, thus allowing the cover 54 to be removed to enable the removal of the clothes.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A washing and extracting machine including a tub adapted to contain a washing liquid and clothes to be washed, an agitator comprising a multiple armed agitator frame movably mounted within the tub and a flexible diaphragm means mounted upon said multiple armed agitator frame and arranged to provide a sealed enclosure,

means for applying a vacuum to the interior of said enclosure to draw the diaphragm means about the frame, means for oscillating said agitator relative to the tub while the diaphragm means is drawn about the frame, and means for expanding said diaphragm means outwardly to extract the washing liquid from the clothes.

2. A washing and extracting machine including a tub adapted to contain a washing liquid and clothes to be washed, an agitator comprising a multiple armed agitator rame movably mounted within the tub and a flexible diaphragm means mounted upon said multiple armed git-ator frame and arranged to provide a sealed enclosure, means for applying a vacuum to the interior of said enclosure to draw the diaphragm means about the frame, means for oscillating said agitator relative to the tub while the diaphragm means is drawn about the frame, means for sealing said tub, and means for drawing a vacuum in the interior of said tub to expand said diaphragm means outwardly to extract washing liquid from the clothes.

3. A washing and extracting machine including a tub adapted to contain a washing liquid and clothes to be washed, an agitator within the tub provided with a movable mounting extending through the bottom of said tub, said agitator being provided with a sealed hollow expansiblc enclosure having its interior connected to said movable mounting, means for oscillating said agitator relative to said tub to wash the clothes, and means for expanding said agitator to extract the washing liquid from said clothes.

4. A washing and extracting machine including a tub adapted to contain a washing liquid and clothes to be washed, an agitator within the tub provided with a movable mounting extending through the bottom of said tub, said agitator being provided with a sealed hollow expansible enclosure having its interior connected to said movable mounting, means for oscillating said agitator relative to said tub to wash the clothes, and for applying a vacuum to the interior of said agitator during said oscillation, and means for expanding said agitator to extract the washing liquid from said clothes.

5. A washing and extracting machine including a tub adapted to contain a washing liquid and clothes to be .vashed, an agitator within the tub provided with a movable mounting extending through the bottom of said tub, said agitator being provided with a sealed hollow expansible enclosure having its interior connected to said movable mounting, an oscillating means outside said tub connected to said movable mounting for oscillating said agitator relative to said tub to wash the clothes, and a pump located outside said tub for expanding said agitator to extract washing liquid from the clothes.

6. A washing and extracting machine including a tub adapted to contain a washing liquid and clothes to be washed, an agitator within the tub provided with a movable mounting extending through the bottom of said tub,

said agitator being provided with a sealed hollow expansible enclosure having its interior connected to said movable mounting, an oscillating means outside said tub connected to said movable mounting for oscillating said agitator relative to said tub to wash the clothes, and a pump located outside said tub and connected through said movable mounting to the interior of said agitator.

7. A washing and extracting machine including a tub adapted to contain a washing liquid and clothes to be washed, a flexible resilient diaphragm means within said tub extending to divide said tub into two separate compartments one of which is adapted to contain said washing liquid and clothes, means for imparting an oscillating movement to said diaphragm means relative to said tub to agitate said washing liquid and clothes in said one compartment, and means for moving said diaphragm means relative to said tub in a direction to reduce the size of said one compartment to squeeze the clothes and to extract the washing liquid therefrom.

8. A washing and extracting machine including a tub adapted to contain a washing liquid and clothes to be washed, a flexible resilient diaphragm means within said tub extending to divide said tub into two separate compartments one of which is adapted to contain said washing liquid and clothes, means for imparting an oscillating movement to said diaphragm means relative to said tub to agitate said washing liquid and clothes in said one compartment, and means for applying a pressure difierential to said diaphragm means in a direction to reduce the size of said one compartment to squeeze the clothes and to extract the washing liquid therefrom.

9. In combination: a stationary tub adapted to contain a washing liquid and clothes to be washed; a hollow flexible resilient impervious expansible agitator in said tub; means to impart an agitating movement to said agitator relative to said tub; means to impart a pressure differential on said agitator to expand said agitator to wring clothes between said agitator and a wall of said tub.

10. In combination: a flexible, impervious hollow agitator; means for imparting an agitating movement to said agitator; means for imparting atmospheric pressure inside said agitator; a stationary tub surrounding said agitator; and means imparting a vacuum to the space outside said agitator and inside said tub.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,428,710 Jorgensen et al. Oct. 7, 1947 2,520,685 Horvath Aug. 29, 1950 2,596,791 Rand May 13, 1952 2,610,497 Graham Sept. 16, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 341,740 Great Britain Jan. 22, 1931 

